Von Eschenbach to resign from National Cancer Institute post

FDA acting commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said this week he would resign from his other job, as director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), effective June 10.
Von Eschenbach’s holding of both positions had raised questions of a potential conflict of interest.
He has led NCI since 2002. Von Eschenbach became acting commissioner in September 2005 and in March was nominated by President Bush to lead the regulatory agency.
His confirmation remains “in limbo” amid debate on the FDA’s position on the OTC status of Barr’s emergency contraceptive pill Plan B.